Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-01
RIGHTS OF THE SMACKS.
THE REPORT OF THE CONFER
EES OF THE HOUSE.

An Arg ument That 1t Would BE Fo ~
tOMereiy Prohibit the Import alton of
Cansd an Fish ant Not Interfere with
Other Traffic Both by Land and Water.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-The House
conferees on the bill to authorize the
President to protect and defend the rights
oil American fishing vessels the fisheries
retalIatory bilI) have prepared state
ment which will DO submitted to the
House at the earliest opportunity. The
c0nferees say:
The unarimity expressed in the House and
Senate respectively had given the managers
on the part of the House every reason TO hope
that ny mutual concessions an agreement
would be reached in conference which would
result In giving such ample authority to the
President as might be necessary for salts
lac DRY settlement OF the pending quest on OF
American fisheries on the Canadian coast. IL
Is, therefore, with the deepest regret and dis
appointment that we are compelled to report
a disagreement.
EXCLUSION OF CARS.
The managers, on the part of the House.
entered the conference with deter nation
that no minor difference should stand in the
way or an agreement, but 1t became evident
that no proposition that included cars and
rolling stock in the operation of the law would
be acceptable to the Senate cOnferees. The
unanimous vote Of the House authorizing the
President to declare. in his discretion, non
intercourse with Canada by land as well rs
sea. did not, in the opinion of your conferees,
leave them at liberty to disregard that i'm
portant principle contained in the House
substitute for the Senate Uill. They thers-
fore declined to recede in conference from
the position taken by the House on this point.
AIM OF THE BILL.
dignlfed deliberate and earnest M ain
| tenance of our national rights under treaty
| shpclaiiOns, under public commercial laws
| and ordinary International comfy is the sole
| object Of the Unite States If these rights
| have been impaired and invaded and fedresS
| when properly asked for has been refused or
! not accorded, then self respect as nation
and sense of duty to our citizons should
compel the people OF the United States to act
| as unit In adopting such measures
| as Will restore the rights of their citizens.
| IL a suspension OF commercial Intercourse be
| asserted as the rem dy for The withholding OF
commercial privileges. such suspension should
| be coextensive with the attainment OF the
desired end. and would be useless or worse II
1t fell short of th 1t. To limit such non inter
| course To single article of commerce or TO
single mode OF comm nication would not be
| just in theory nor adequate in practice.
FISH ALONE NOT SUFFICIENT.
The act OF exclusion to be successful should
| be effective and unmistakable in Its extent
| and results. The opinions which have found
expression IN Congress. and which nave been
refleCl ed In the conference, would limit the
| action OF the government to NJ ohibitlOn upOn
| the i'm DortatIOE of Canadian fish into the UNI
| ion that IL such a prnhIbitorv law should i've
! deemed sufficient for the settlement of imDor-
| tant political questions as to American rights
under treaty stipulations, the proper method
| would be TO pass tariff enactment TO that
effect. An attempt to reach the result by u-e
| of diplomatic power Is one to which the House
cOnferees cannot give their assent. The ques-
ton to be legislated upon is national in It's as
| poets and not sectional or local.
RIGHTS AT STAKE.
| 1t IL not the article fish we are to consider,
but The rights of our citizens under our trea-
ties with Great Britain. The rights OF the
fishermen are national rights. and the whole
nation is concerned in resisting their destruc
| ton or diminuJion. 1t is not the profit or
loss of the fishing business that is in question,
| but the right to fish, to navigate and to trade
| that is at stake. The establishment OF non
/ intercourse bv railroad might possibly infiict
| hardship upon some of onr citizens. but we
are unwilling to believe that private interests
| Will be placed above the maintenance of the
| honor and dignity OF the country.
| WHERE SETTLEMENT RESTS.
A settlement of the pending question rests
| between the government OF the United States
| and the government of Great Britain. Ii
| Will continue to be a recurring source OF irri-
taton. annoyance, and even danger, so long
| as 1t is permtted TO remain in condition OF
dispute between our fishermen aud the Cana
has been ''t Directed
] Accommodate all differences and to
| procure an amicabe, voluntary ana just set
| Element. To such Overtures no reply has been
| made. although since Dec. 3, 1876, propO-
| sition looking to such an adjustment has been
| in the hands OF the British government. II
| Great Britain will join In just ana reason
| able iuterpretai ion of the treaty of 1918 with
the United States there wi be no difficulty
| but shou Il that government continue to sus-
tain its provinces in the misuse of the provis
| ions OF that treaty we must prevent orsubmlt.
RAILWAYS MUST BE INCLUDED.
Non-intercourse applied to essential lines
q ID iitxyaU fFst liz. no pnn of
| fectlve than combining our action 10 the en-
| cuson of fish alone.
Great Britain must be dealt with, not Can
| ada, and our measures should be begun with
| that view and with a determination to con-
tlnue them until just action Is compelled.
The report is signed by Messrs. Bel
mont and Clements. MIR. Rice, OF Massa-
cnusetts, does not JOIN in the report. II
is believed that no request VIII be mad
by The House for further conference, and
| any Overtures in that direction must come
from the Senate.
THE REPORT TO THE SENATE.
In the Senate to-day MIR. Edmunds
| from the conference committee or
the bill resp citing fisheries. made
long report as 10 the difficulties
existing in the conference, and which pre-
vented an agreement. The irrec0ncilable
| point of difference between the managers
| on the part of the two houses is reported
to be the insistence on the part of the
House managers to add to the scope OF
the Senate bill the further provision that
in case of injurious treatment to Ameri-
can vessels in British North American
waters II shall be within the com.
petence of tue President to stop inter
course absolutely not only by water, but
by land, thus cutting off continuous
movement of railway trains from the
British provinces to any part of the
United States and in effect reciprocally
from the United States to the British do
mIniUns. The Senate managers had felt
it to be their duty TO decline 10 go TO that
extent. The report is signed by the Sen
ate conterees, Senators Edmunds, Frye
and Morgan,